NTSB: Loss of lube oil led to $2.6M ATB fire
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The National Transportation Board (NTSB<\/a>) has released its report on a December 30, 2024, incident involving the articulated tug and barge (ATB) Dorothy Ann\/Pathfinder,<\/em> <\/a>owned and operated by the Interlake Steamship Co.<\/p>\n On the day of the incident, at about 4.09 p.m. local time, the Dorothy Ann\/Pathfinder <\/em>ATB, with a crew of 16, was anchored in Lake Erie, near Cleveland, Ohio, when a fire broke out in the generator space of the self-unloading barge Pathfinder.<\/em> The crew sealed the space and released the vessel\u2019s fixed gas fire extinguishing system, putting out the fire. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. Damages were estimated at $2.6 million.<\/p>\n The NTSB determined that th\u200be probable cause of the diesel generator engine failure and resulting fire aboard the ATB barge was a loss of lube oil to one of the engine\u2019s connecting rods, possibly due to its electrical generator experiencing a sudden block load beyond its design capability resulting from an electrical short in the generator.<\/p>\n \u200b\u200bContaining fires in machinery spaces:<\/strong> Machinery spaces contain multiple fuel sources as well as mechanical ventilation, making the spaces especially vulnerable to rapidly spreading fires. After a diesel generator engine failed aboard the self-unloading barge Pathfinder, <\/em>the crew effectively contained the spread of a fire by removing fuel and oxygen sources. Vessel crews should familiarize themselves and train frequently on machinery, fuel oil, lube oil, isolation valves, and ventilation shutoff systems to quickly act to contain and suppress fires in machinery spaces before they can spread to other spaces and\/or cause a loss of propulsion and electrical power.<\/p>\nLESSONS LEARNED<\/h4>\n